Happy Holidays From Our Family to Yours!

If you can say it, you can make it, right? Well, not exactly. This two-ingredient cocktail recipe can be a little tricky to master. You'll need to pay attention to the glassware, garnish, style of gin, all the way down to the spirit proof. The details matter! Too much gin and the botanical spirit will overshadow the unique qualities of the tonic. Too much tonic, and you might drown out the gin.

To start, choose the right gin. London Dry Gin is an old-style gin with a Juniper flavor profile while modern gins tend to have notes of citrus and flower with Juniper as an undertone. The gin we chose this year to create our Christmas gift boxes was the Hofland London Dry Gin, which uses eight botanicals (Juniper, Angelica Root, Orris Root, Coriander, Vanilla, Liquorice Root, Lemon, and Ginger) and distilled alcohol from selected grains from the finest cornfields in the European Union. Hofland Gin is positioned amongst other premium gins and a great choice for a Gin & Tonic.

When it comes to tonic, you must choose wisely. Some tonics are dry and straightforward, with strong notes of bitter quinine. Others are sweet and syrupy. And in between, you'll find tonics featuring everything from citrus to aromatics to herbs and spices. Mass-produced tonic usually contains many unhealthy ingredients far from the original Cinchona bark. Q tonic has a somewhat medicinal taste from the Cinchona bark, which might remind you of a homemade tonight. You might also notice a slight tartness and tang, and clean tasking fruitiness. Use this tonic with a gin that is prominent in Juniper notes for a perfect match!

Last but not least, there’s the garnish. Many people swear by a lime. Others choose a lemon, and others still prefer a grapefruit slice or rosemary sprig. For this particular combination, you will find in your gift box a lime. We believe that lime enhances the flavor of both the gin and the tonic; however, you could add a little ginger syrup if you prefer to make it more interesting.

For a delicious ginger syrup, you will need 1 measure water, 3/4 measure sugar, 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger. Combine these ingredients in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until reduced to 1 1/3 cups, about 3 minutes. Cool syrup; then strain.

(Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; chill.)

Ingredients:

2 oz of Gin (1 bottle in your gift box)

4 oz of Q tonic water (half Q tonic can)

1/2 oz of ginger syrup (optional)

Garnish: 2 lime wheels

Steps:

1. Add Hofland gin to the highball glass over ice

2. Add ginger syrup if desired

3. Top with Q Tonic water and gently stir

4. Garnish with lime wheels

While you are mixing your Gin & Tonic, we highly suggest you get into the Christmas spirit by diffusing the following mix of essential oils to bring the smell of fresh Christmas trees into your home:

-1 drop of Holly & Pine

-2 drops Cypress

-2 drops of Orange

-1 drop of Nutmeg

We hope that you enjoy your holiday gift box and this Go Naples Home Watch recipe tutorial. Happy holidays from our family to yours!